Inspiration for this post: Bug walked up purposefully and turned off the TV, then began bouncing up and down in front of the stereo. When I said no and turned the TV back on she turned it off again.
My sister-in-law and I had a discussion about using the TV as a babysitter. We are both fairly liberal, intelligent women and teachers who want our kids to grow up smart, literate and able to think for themselves. But there are times, like our recent vacation, when we both set the kids firmly on the couch and turn on the Muppets hoping for 15-20 minutes of kid-grasping-the-leg-and-screaming free time to breathe and fix lunch. The rationale: anything that keeps mom sane can't be all bad.
Being a mom is not always easy and there comes a time when you realize that all the idealist daydreams you have about how you want to raise your kid TV-free, eating all organic food, and never owning a Barbie are about as realistic as them never peeing on the floor. But you try. You have to. After all, getting the carpets cleaned isn't cheap.
Awhile ago, I got a telemarketing call from an organization called Campaign for a Commercial-Free Childhood. They asked me about the forthcoming Shrek 3, and if I would be willing to support them in their goal to decrease the commercial attention being given the movie through McDonald's and cereal companies. But before they got to the punch line they wanted to ask certain question about whether I thought certain ads on TV were too numerous or influential.
Seriously people, I have a simple solution. Don't buy your kids sugary commercial cereal. Don't dine at McDonald's once a week. And, though it's tough (no sarcasm, I'm gulity of this one too), turn off the TV. Some people are fine with these things, and that's their choice. And maybe they need an advocacy group. But the idea of disputing what toy comes with your Happy Meal seems a little ridiculous to me. It seems to me that the best way to ensure a commercial free childhood for your kid is to avoid commercials by turning off the TV and buying the Dora and Elmo-encrusted crap in the stores as seldom as possible. But maybe it's not as easy as all that. Maybe, only having a 1 1/2 year old, I'm sheltered. I haven't yet expereinced the "I want what my friends have" stage yet.
But I have to admit that the thought of my kid owning a Bratz doll or singing a Brittney Spears song to me at the age of 5 scares the living shit out of me, so I checked it out further. The Campaign for a Commercial-Free Childhood describes themselves as a "national coalition of health care professionals, educators, advocacy groups and concerned parents who counter the harmful effects of marketing to children through action, advocacy, education, research, and collaboration." And it seems like a descent organization. On the website they cite news articles that discuss the effects of Baby Einstein videos, companies that want to market cell phones and computers for 3-5 year olds, slutty clothing targeted at tweens, and the adverse effects of alcoholic energy drinks.
This is, in truth, what sparked this rant. There are the two waring impulses within me as I filter through the sea of junk that is parenting. There are so many parenting methods, so much advice, and so much commercialization that come with this. Steering the ship of parenting between the sharp rocks of Elmo and Happy Meals and the sand bars of BabyFirstTV and the latest Pixar film, it's hard to decipher who's full of it and who has your best interests in mind anymore. Combine that with the winds of breast-feeding in public and moms being competative in the workplace and the fight just to steer straight is enough to make you want to jump ship. Part of me wants to shelter The Bug from fast food, Bratz dolls, and mean kids in school. Another part of me knows that you can't shelter your kids from everything. They need to know how to sift through all the crap that is pop culture without being overwhelmed by it all. But deciding who has your best interests in mind and who's just trying to sell you something is a hell of a lot harder once they start asking for "Sesa" & "Eh-nie" every morning.
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2 comments:
While I agree that you can't shelter your kids from all adverse influences, I think that you should also teach them that these things (slutty toys, sugary cereal, whatever) are not part of your personal family community by not having them in your home. Let them sort the pop-culture crap at school, with friends, or wherever else they encounter it, but keep home a place where your values are reflected. That's just my take.
Plus, I firmly hold that an hour of Sesame Street a day isn't going to hurt a kid, and if it helps mom catch a shower, then it is a gift from God. Plus, PBS doesn't show commercials.
Crys, you and M are doing a fantastic job with the Bean. She is independent and full of life and enthusiasm. You two are good examples and like Tracy said, it is the values at home that are really important.
xox
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